Dani Sean, Account Manager
Prior to October 2022, I had not given the world of telemarketing much thought. My entire professional career had been spent climbing the ladder within the world of Broadcast Media & TV, specifically camera rental facilities, in a commercial client-facing role. I’ll be very honest, I didn’t apply for a role at Beanstalk because it was a lifelong dream of mine to work in this industry – I was looking to return to work after taking a year out to raise my first child, and the thought of resuming a 3-hour London commute filled me with dread. I wanted a job closer to home which played to my strengths and so applied for the Account Manager position with little understanding of what the company does.
During my interview with Beanstalk’s MD and SD, I admitted that my impression of telemarketing was that it was a lot of ‘cold calling’ (aka pestering ) They sold me on the idea that no two campaigns are alike and there is a lot more legwork that goes into a successful campaign – I’ll go into more detail about this later. Despite me sharing my negative assumptions about the telemarketing industry, they must have seen something they liked, and I was offered the job.
Beanstalk Marketing is a leading B2B telemarketing agency that has been delivering award-winning lead generation campaigns since 2009. Our clients include Technology Companies, Start-Ups, Apprenticeship Providers & Manufacturers such as Jacobs Engineering, Assa Abloy, and Brunel University, although many of our clients are SMEs that want to grow their businesses.
So what does my role actually involve? Well, first I am assigned a new client, I guide them through the implementation process , find out why they have come to us, and understand how we can support them. I am given a crash course in each company’s proposition and must get up to speed before the campaign can go live. Often, it is down to me to identify the client’s target audience and acquire the relevant data for the telemarketer to call. It is incredibly important that we select the right criteria when sourcing data, otherwise we risk wasting valuable time, effort and “most importantly ” money.
I create a full marketing brief (which I thoroughly enjoy as I’ve always been good at creative writing!) and ensure that a telemarketer with the right type of experience is assigned to the campaign before giving them an overview of the proposition. We avoid reading from a script as we find better results come from organic peer-to-peer conversations.
Once we have secured a high-quality lead, it’s then down to the client to consolidate the process and, ultimately, convert it to a sale! We guide them through this process by creating a simple set of action points to follow:
- Send an introductory email referencing the telemarketer’s conversation
- Send a calendar invitation
- Connect to the prospect on LinkedIn
With each of my campaigns, I also recommend regular (weekly or fortnightly) meetings between the telemarketer and client, which gives both sides an opportunity to ask any questions, develop their knowledge of the campaign, and to discuss any opportunities that are in the pipeline.
The role of conduit between client and telemarketer is vital as campaigns and propositions are becoming increasingly complex.
One of the biggest challenges as an Account Manager is helping my clients to understand the difference between a sales enquiry and a sales lead. At Beanstalk, we pride ourselves on the caliber of our leads. We take the time to fully understand our client’s expectations, and only send a prospect’s details when we’ve ascertained a genuine interest in the proposition. A sales enquiry lacks the same urgency and can cheapen our offering as it is usually just a passing interest.
I believe that a successful campaign is dependent on three essential factors:
- The proposition
- The telemarketer
- The data
All these factors are controlled, to some extent, by the Account Manager. To reiterate my earlier point, it is imperative that I understand a client’s proposition fully to train the Telemarketer to deliver the pitch.
Beanstalk has a rigorous onboarding process for all telemarketers. It seems that a decade ago, anyone could be taken on to dial and blindly pitch, say, a local cleaning company. However, as the industry has evolved, and propositions have become more complicated, the need for a skilled and highly adaptable workforce has grown exponentially.
Beanstalk’s lead generation team members each h old an average of 10 years’ experience in a customer-facing role, and we only recruit individuals with a demonstrable track-record of over performance in other B2B sales environments. We have a very low staff turnover and value stability within a professional collaborative working environment.
My original perception of telemarketing has drastically changed – it’s a multifaceted, bespoke craft. No two days and no two campaigns are alike. Every client of mine receives a completely personal experience with as much involvement from me as they need. The human approach comes naturally to me – I’ve always worked in customer-facing roles, my flair for creativity is satisfied by the variety of briefs I manage, and I am challenged on a daily basis given the wide range of small- and medium enterprises that exist in the UK currently!
It’s always exciting when our clients win new business, and we love to celebrate their successes with them. We measure success by customer retention, with our entire team incentivised on customers extending their relationships with us. This drives a customer-centric culture, focusing everyone’s efforts on generating sales opportunities that our customers can convert into profitable customers.
Beanstalk is a fantastic place to work, with an exceptionally positive culture and a varied customer base. I have been fortunate to work for some amazing companies over the years but I very much feel like I’ve landed on my feet here. I’m excited to see what campaigns are going to land on my desk next!
If you’re reading this thinking you could benefit from professional, results-driven telemarketing, the Beanstalk team can engage your prospects and build your sales pipeline.
Please get in touch on info@beanstalkmarketing.co.uk or 0345 474 2047 for a discussion about our experience and capability in your sector.